I suggest that you read Ugo Bardi's article linked below.

http://www.resilience.org/stories-list/79716-energy

I have previously indicated my thoughts on Egypt's future difficulties
with their overpopulation. Ugo, does not think thay have as severe a
problem but they already have had two revolutions since 2000.
Europe will need to plan for the massive movement of people heading
out of the Middle East.
Egypt may have to unload 45 million people and the whole ME may have
to unload another 60 to 100 million.

The cause of all this unsupportable population has been the last 70
years income from oil sales providing cheap food most of it subsidised.
This will not happen all at once of course, but rejecting them is
certain to turn terrorism into a full scale war.
One optimistic note, if you can call it that, might be the financial
crash that would probably accompany a decline of that magnitude may
prevent mass immigration.

Australia of course would not be immune from the pressure.
I wonder how many Prime Minister Hanson-Young would accept ?

Aaaagggghhhhrrrr;

The link was incorrect, try this;

http://tinyurl.com/py9ks9t

Bazz, I do not have a direct comment regarding the future of Egypt.All I can add is that the more I look into the current Middle East scenario, the less I understand what outcome is being sought by those who fund the insurrections. Besides the oil reserves it seems that the nations in conflict and with troops from the first world operating in them have or had State owned banks. That is to say that a Rothchild controlled banking cartel is not controlling their economy.

I look at the various rebel or "terrorist" groups and find links to funding from their enemies in the first world.........it's all too murky for me to judge.......puppets contolling puppets controlled by the European banking cartel is the best I can come up with.

It is indeed murky sonofgloin. The reduction in income in Syria
probably made the various factions (Allawites and Sunnis Al Quadia
etc)ready to accept money no matter where it might originate.
They probably did not realise themselves the source of their problems.
Certainly the Banks and politicians do not understand what is
happening to their country, they just blame the "West".
Syria must be bankrupt by now as ISIS has raided all the banks to
which it got access. It has to be considered as a failed state.

They must have been aware of their drought, but probably did not think
it could have the impact on the population that it has affected.
So when ISIS came on the scene the population thought that is enough
we are off !

Re Egypt, well it is a different story, it has a Sunni administration
so the Gulf States are willing to help out. As their economy starts
putting the screws on the Gulf states that charity might well dry up.
Word is Saudi Arabia might cry enough at the OPEC meeting in December
and cut back on its production and so force prices up.
As they say, watch this space !

Bazz,
The US used the drought as a context to help stir up the protests against the Syrian government.

Possibly so Armchair, the Syrian government was probably also looking
for financial support. I doubt the US govt understood the rate of fall
in income to the government and why. Iran might have stepped up but
they were not actually too flush due to sanctions.

I do not know how large a population can be supported by its agricultural resources.
From memory it was part of the bread basket of the Middle East due to
the large rivers. Must look up and see what was the prewar population.